What a move-in/move-out photo report includes, and what it doesn't

When a tenant moves in or out, someone needs a clear record of what the unit looked like that day. SnappedCulture’s Rentals documentation, part of our real estate work, makes that record. This entry walks through what a move-in/move-out photo report contains, how a visit runs, and what the report deliberately leaves out.

What the report includes

Every report is built the same way, for every unit:

• A fixed room order and shot list. The photographer walks the unit in the same order every time and photographs the same views in each room: walls, floors, fixtures, windows, doors, and the appliances that stay with the unit.
• Labeled photos. Each photo carries its room and its view, so “Bedroom 2, closet wall” means the same thing in the move-in set and the move-out set.
• A short walkthrough video. One continuous pass through the unit, room by room, to show how the spaces connect.
• A PDF with the date and the address. The photos in room order with their labels, plus the date of the visit and the property address.
• The scope line on every page. The same sentence that opens this entry is printed on each page, so no page can be read out of context.

The report is delivered within 48 hours, and the price is $95 per unit. Units up to about three bedrooms. A travel fee applies beyond 20 miles round trip and is stated before the visit.

Why the room order never changes

A record is only useful if it can be compared. If the move-in set starts in the kitchen and the move-out set starts in a bedroom, every comparison turns into a search. A fixed order and a fixed shot list mean the two sets can be read side by side, page against page.

Illustration · not to scale

1. Entry
2. Living room
3. Bath
4. Kitchen
5. Bedroom 2
6. Bedroom 1
7. Laundry

How the photos are edited

Rentals documentation follows our documentary standard, the same one that governs listing photography. We correct exposure, white balance, and color, and we crop and correct lens distortion so walls stand straight. That’s all. Nothing in the frame is removed, added, or moved, and nothing is softened, brightened in one spot, or cleaned up to make a room look better or worse than it did. If an edit would change what a viewer concludes about the room, it isn’t made.

What the report leaves out

The scope line is short on purpose. It isn’t fine print we hope nobody reads; it describes exactly what the work is. A photo report:

• Doesn’t judge anything. Captions describe what is visible and where it is: “Living room, north wall, left of the window.” They never say “damaged,” “worn,” “needs repair,” or “fine.” Deciding what a mark means is the property manager’s call, not the photographer’s.
• Doesn’t test anything. No outlets tried, no faucets run, no appliances switched on, no systems or structure evaluated. A unit that needs that kind of evaluation needs a licensed professional, not a photographer.
• Makes no legal or insurance claims. The report is a dated visual record. We make no claim about how it will be treated in a deposit dispute, by an insurer, or in court.
• Never goes on social media. Report photos show people’s homes. They go to the client and are never posted, on any channel.

The report describes what is visible and where it is. Deciding what a mark means is the property manager’s call, not the photographer’s.

Before the first visit

Before we document a first unit, we agree in writing on what is covered: the units and the visit type, who handles keys and access, the delivery time, how long photos are kept and when they are deleted, and what won’t be photographed. Tenants’ belongings are the main limit. The photographer documents the unit, not the people who live in it or their things.

What to send us

When you ask for a report, tell us the address, whether it is a move-in or a move-out, how access works, and when the unit is available. We confirm the date, the price, and the delivery time in writing before the visit.